Guadalupe Garcia McCallRecensioni

Narrated by Gary Tiedemann. James and Ava's family move to Oregon from Texas. Their parents are excited about the move; the kids less so. Then mysterious letters show up for James. The kids also learn from the neighborhood kids that nothing bad ever happens in the town they live in. It turns out to be true, but the tranquility comes at a deadly cost...and James may be the next sacrifice. For me, the story didn't really pick up until James and Ava find themselves trapped by a neighbor.½

MY goodness, this was a good book. I absolutely loved it. My favorite YA book I have read over the last few years. If you like magic realism and mythology this book is for you.

***Contains Light Spoilers***

Very slow to get started. The mystery doesn’t get introduced until 30%, and it was never clear exactly what the Keeper wanted James to do. The first letter just told James to explore his new house. Like, ok? And? Things are introduced and then never mentioned again (the secret room under their living room). The dialogue was weird because no one used contractions. The plot reminded me of Thirteens by Kate Alice Marshall, but messy and mediocre.

Summer of the Mariposas is a magical Mexican American retelling of The Odyssey - and a celebration of sisterhood and maternal love.

When Odilia and her four sisters find a dead body in the swimming hole, they embark on a hero's journey to return the dead man to his family in Mexico. But returning home to Texas turns into an odyssey that would rival Homer's original tale.

With the supernatural aid of ghostly La Llorona via a magical earring, Odilia and her little sisters travel a road of tribulation to their long-lost grandmother's house. Along the way, they must outsmart a witch and her Evil Trinity: a wily warlock, a coven of vicious half-human barn owls, and a bloodthirsty livestock-hunting chupacabras.

Can these fantastic trials prepare Odilia and her sisters for what happens when they face their final test: returning home to the real world, where goddesses and ghosts can no longer help them?

This book was written in a free verse poetry narrative style. This book was about a latino girl whos mom was suffering from cancer. This book has deep cultural significance along with universal themes about grief and loss. I would recommend this book for ages 11 and up. I enjoyed reading this book as an adult. This book shares real struggles that children can relate to and practice empathy.

The Keeper by Guadalupe Garcia McCall is an intermediate level mystery/horror book that deals with Mexican Folklore. It's loosely based on the Westfield Watcher story from New Jersey. This book is about James and his sister who move away from Texas to Oregon after their grandmother's death. The move into a “perfect” Victorian house in a “perfect” neighborhood. But things soon get weird. James receives a creepy letter from someone called the Keeper who is watching them. This book is based loosely on the true story of the Westfield Watcher from New Jersey.

There were so many things to like about this book, but it was a very slow build. I had trouble getting into it, but once I got a little bit past the half way point I couldn't put it down.

Things I liked:
--The relationship between James and Ava. The siblings play pranks on each other, bicker, fight over their dog's attention, but ultimately love each other and protect each other.
--The references to Mexican-American culture and folklore. These references were seamlessly woven into the plot and the use of Spanish in the dialog was authentic
--James' feelings about moving. The way he felt about leaving his home in Texas and his concerns about his friends back home and his fears about building new relationships was handled very realistically.

Things I didn't like:
--The pacing. The premise of the book is spooky, but it takes a long time to get to the "horror" part of the book.
--Some of the scenes felt disconnected and disjointed and despite the beginning of the book being slow, the ending felt rushed. It tried to tie things up much too quickly.
--I like the supernatural and environmental twist, but it came from nowhere.

This was an interesting horror story for young readers. I am always looking for new books to recommend in this genre to young readers and this has just been added to the list.

Moving is hard, especially after the passing of your beloved grandmother. I loved how much the children cherished their "Ita's" stories and knowledge after her passing. I also loved how, after much bickering, James and Ava worked together to solve the mysterious problem.

During the Great Depression, times were bleak for most people, but especially for Mexican-Americans living near the border, as they were often used a scapegoat. More than 1 million Mexican-Americans, including 600,000 citizens were "repatriated" to Mexico, Author McCall tells the story of fifteen year-old Estrella del Toro and her family who are doing better than many on their ranch in southern Texas. However, racism is mounting in the local town, and some neighbors have "disappeared" (i.e., been deported to Mexico.) At a local town meeting, her father and Estrella speak out. When their home is burned to the ground, her father is taken by the police and Estrella, her mother, and sickly younger brother are taken first to Ciudad and then to Mexico City. They become refugees, barely surviving on meager rations, hoping for the kindness of strangers while they search for Estrella's father. I would have given 4 stars, but was annoyed with the author's frequent unnecessary use of Spanish words I do not know.

Age: intermediate / middle
Genre: poetry

This book was a beautifully written story about a young girl who had to take on responsibilities in her family as her mother got sick. The mother daughter relationship is great in this book. I would use it in my class as a book in a unit where they get to pick out of a few books to read. Being that it is poetry written in verse it can be used for slower readers because the development of the story and the content is still great

It was an honor to read this great book. It would probably be a great book for 3rd-5th graders as it's easy to follow for a novel and very insightful. This book is about a girl named Lupita who was born into a very close, close family who always took care of each other. However, she was the oldest so she had many responsibilities. Especially once her mother passed away from cancer. She needed someplace to let thoughts out and a place to relax when things get crazy and that place is under the Mesquite tree.

Under the mesquite is about a young girl, Lupita, who is part of a close-knit, 8 sibling family. After discovering that her mother has been diagnosed with cancer, she is forced to take on new roles in her household in order to help her family. As a high school student, she must juggle all the difficulties that come with being a teenager while taking care of her family. In order to escape the chaos, she finds comfort writing under the mesquite tree. This book is would work best for upper-level elementary school students and would be very powerful for those struggling with family hardships. This would be a great book to have a reading group read together then discuss.

Middle. This book is an amazing own voices story about the life of the eldest daughter in a large Mexican family that moves to Texas, U.S. Throughout this book, we follow Lupita as she works through high school, her mother's battle with cancer, and her seven younger siblings. She tells and retells this part of her life through poems that mix contain a myriad of Spanish words as well. This would be a great story to incorporate in a poetry lesson although likely for older grades as some of the subject matter is emotionally distressing.

This book would be a great read for primary or secondary readers. The language is simple and the sections are not too long. There also are some words in Spanish that are easy to understand through the context and so it is really great for students to learn some of the words and what they mean. The book is a positive representation of children of the Mexican culture immigrating to America and what that is like. It would be great for students because they can see themselves in this book or can see how their peers may have lived through this experience.

For intermediate to advanced readers. The book is set up like a series of short chapters that have the structure of a poem. The book is about a family from Mexico who live in America. They have different tribulations as their mother battles cancer. The story is written in the perspective of the daughter and her life throughout high school. The family grows and show resilience during a hard time. It is beautifully written and touching.

I think this book would be great for upper elementary. It takes you through a journey that not many experiences. A girl, Lupita, is a want-to-be actress whose biggest role is to take care of her siblings and her Mami who is having a battle of her own. I think this book is an amazing read to bring other people's lives to light.

A great and challenging read for intermediate readers. Uses both English and Spanish in a similar context when describing, or talking about certain things. Won the Pura Belpré award by representing latino culture and doing this through the main character Lupita, her family of 8 sister, her father, and her mother who unfortunately loses her battle with cance.r

Narrated by Lupita, this story shares the many joys and struggles an immigrant family faces in America. Lupita's family finds out that her mom is diagnosed with cancer, which brings a whole new set of challenges for the family. As the oldest child, she takes up the role of taking care of her siblings whilst figuring out who she is. This book may benefit students who may be dealing with family struggles, those who may have recently immigrated, or those who tend to have a larger role in caring for their family.

Great chapter book about coming of age in Mexican-American culture. Recommend for young adult readers.

Intermediate; Middle; Fiction; Realistic Fiction; After moving to America with her family Lupita struggles as she cares for her seven younger siblings, navigates high school, and watches her mother die of cancer. Great book about culture, family, values, hardship, courage, strength, resilience, and hope. This would be a great book for all students to read as it is relatable and a great window into the Latino culture.

This book is a Pura Belpre winner. It celebrates Latino culture and is a great story. This book is for older students who have the ability to track a story that is this long. Students need to have a longer attention span.

This book is about a large Latina family that immigrates from Mexico to Texas. The mother of the family is diagnosed with cancer and the story talks about the struggles that the family goes through while battling this together. There are 8 siblings and the story is narrated by the oldest daughter. This story goes though her life experiences and things that she is going thorough.

This would be good for older students to do a book report on or to read on their own time. It does deal with topics that would hit close to home for many students like losing a loved one. This story can act as a mirror for many students because it provides so much life story that each student can find a way that they can relate.

This is a beautiful book for older intermediate or middle-school students. The book tells the story of Lupita, who has seven younger siblings and comes from a Mexican-American family. Lupita's family moves from Mexico and Texas and as Lupita attends a new school and becomes involved in the drama club, her family faces extreme hardship as the pillar of the family, their mother, becomes diagnosed with cancer and must leave her family to undergo treatment. Lupita takes up the responsibility of caring for her family, but only has a little bit of time left when her mother returns before she passes away. Lupita learns how to deal with the loss and mourning she is facing, and decides to live out the dreams she knows she and her mother both wanted for her. This is a very helpful book because it presents such realistic components that many people can feel connected to, and it portrays how strong a families love for each other can be. I would use this book in a way that the class could have a discussion about it and do a book-report on the powerful figurative language embedded in it and the messages it creates.

This book is suitable for intermediate grades. It is a story written in first person about a girl named Lupita who has to care for her family and mother who has cancer. This book portrays strong themes of how family is a bond that can not be broken and how there is much strength to be found in diversity. This is a beautiful book that I would use in my classroom as a way to affirm and celebrate the strength found in those who go through adversity and also to celebrate my students who are from the Latino/Latina culture.

This would be a good fit for intermediate or middle school grades. It is an easy read but the topics are more mature for young ages. This is a beautiful well written series of poems inspired by the author, Guadalupe Garcia McCall's life as a teenager. It covers lighter and relatable topics such as conflicts between friends and family members, family traditions, and summer adventures as well as some more specific topics like immigration and the loss of a parent. This book would be a good fit for poetry units, autobiographical units, discussions on immigration, or discussions around loss.

Disclaimer: There is discussion of death and cancer (for students who may be sensitive towards these issues).

Middle school. A Mexican American girl named Lupita in her early teens deals with more family responsibility as her mother battles cancer. Lupita loves poetry and uses drama to help deal with her mothers illness and eventual death. I would use this book in my class because it is great representation for the Mexican American culture. It also deals with death and grief which are very hard topics to talk about, but are very important for students to understand, especially if they are going through a similar situation.

This book is simple enough to be read by intermediate readers, but the story line will also engage middle level readers. It tells the story of a family who left Mexico to come to America. The main character, Lupita, shares from her perspective the ordeal their family endured while her mother suffered from cancer. She learns to take responsibility and to pursue her dreams, even when it is hard.

This story will connect with students who have watched a loved one suffering from illness or cancer as well as students who have experienced a culture change or immigration. It is simple, but powerful.